Machine for molding tuyeres



R. B. KEPLINGER ET AL MACHINE FOR MOLDING TUYERES Dec. 25, 1945.

Filed Nov. 19, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 C/ZarlesA WW Dec. 25,- 1945. R. B. KEPLINGER ETAL MACHINEIOR MOLDING TUYERES I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 19, 1945 fiabertfljigola'gya' ivd/zal'les 17.1 /19 A I ommf I Dec. 25, 1945. B. KEPLINGER ET AL MACHINE FOR MOLDING TUYERES Filed No). 19, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 il l i Dec. 25, 1945. R. B. KEPLINGER ET AL 2,391,424

MACHINE FOR MOLDING TUYERES Q 4 Shets-Sheet 4 Filed NOV. 19, 1943 Lfiarles xii/y. 25

,zvmomlvn Foe MOLDING, TUYERES Robert B. Keplinger, Canton;

erva,

Min

and Charles A. Fry, his

. Application November 19, 1943. Serial No. 510,986

" Claims. (o .'25 33) The invention relates to improved methods and apparatus. forproducingceramic tuyeres for use in Bessemer converters.

'l'hesetuyeres are long, refractory clay cylinders with a bell atone end and pierced with a plurality of longitudinal holes to permit air under: pressure fromthezwind box to how into the bottom or the molten charge of .pig iron in the Bessember converter for oxidizing the charge. Due to: the serious scrap shortage caused: by the greatly increased steel present emergency, Bessemer steel is, in great demand. and many :new Bessemer converters have been and are being-placed in use.

Until .quite'recefitly; these tuyeres have been producedzinonly small quantities and it'has been presentpractice to make them on a sewer pipe press, or by hand ramming. slow and tedious method of manufacture, but the clay bod'ydoes not have the proper, or uniform density, causing considerable warpage during burning and frequently causing the tuyres to fail sooner than they should.

-..'Ihe object of the present invention is to. provide a method and apparatus for the manufac-'- ture of tuyeres which overcomes the abovementioned difii'culties in manufacture and use and which produces a tuyere having greater density and strength and increased resistancev to slag and metal erosion. 1 I

Another object is to provide for making an extruded tuyere formed of deaired clay having a uniform density,.andbeing substantially free of laminations'. Still another object is the production of a tilyere by means of a specially designed extrusion die having longitudinal core rods therein for forming longitudinal holes through the tuyere.'

. A further oject isthe provision of a pressure gate upon the die having means for receiving and properly positioning the outer ends of the Ion-'- g'itudinal core rods;

A still further object is to provide means upon the pressure gate for countersinking the outer ends of the longitudinalhole's inthe tuyere. 1

This is not only av production during the clay column against lateral and downward de flection as it is extruded from the die. Astillfurther object is the provision. of a multiple headed auger machine for successively extrudin'ga plurality of tuyeres; A further object is the provision ofmea'ns for automatically stopping the column as it is exruded to. the proper length from one of the multiple dies and simultaneously starting the column throughanothei'. or the dies.

A still: further-object is to provide a method of intermittent operation or a horizontal auger extrusion machine by first forcing the clay into a confined die under pressure to fill out a flared shape and obtain .a greater density of the deaired clay body, followed by extrusion without pressure to producethe desired length .of tuyere.

The above objects, together with others which will be apparent to those skilled .in the art, or which may be later referred to, may be attained inthe manner hereinafter described in detail by the'use of ap-paratus such as illustrated in the ac- .eompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 isan. elevation of a.horizontal auger extrusion machine constructed in accordance with the invention Another objectis the provision of means for forming apressed and extruded tuyere from a grained and deaired clay body having low porosity and high mechanical strength.

Still another object is: the formation of a tuyere from delay body consisting of to mm clay, 10% to 20% lfigh p grog,- and the balance" iasuc'nre clay. I

A further object is the provision or an err-bearmg conveyor for up orting the harem-green Fig.- 2, atonplanview of themachine illustratedin Fig-ls; Fig. 3, a; diagrammatic view or automatic means for shutting Jofi the flow of clay through one of the. multiple dies when the column has reached the desired. length, and simultaneously starting, the flow of clay through another of the dies.: .,-11

Fig; 4. an enlarged; longitudinal section through one of the'improved extrusion dies and the extension barrel on which it is mounted showing the pressure gate in closed positionther'eon;

,-:':Fig'.. firaptransversesection on the line 5-5, Fig. 4, showing the inner face of the pressure gate;

Fig. 6, a rear elevation of the. extension barrel showing :thenmanner. ofYn-iounting the longituwof .the'flared or flanged end 'barrel20 by means of For the purpose of shutting off the flow of clay the rear portion of ported by provided with a deairing chamber I for deairing the clay as it is passed through the machine. In order to speed up production the machine may be provided. with a plurality of dies through which the clay is successively extruded so that continuous operation of the machine may be maintained.

For this purpose a multiple barrel I2 is attached to the extruding auger-barrel |3 of the machine; The multiple barrel and auger barrel may be provided with the opposed flanges l4 and i5 respectively, receiving the bolts l6 for connect ing the parts together.

The multiple barrel I2 is shown provided with three outlet necks located at right angles to each other, means being provided for attaching an extrusion die to each outlet neck as will be later described. The number and these outlet necks may be varied, and if only a single extrusion die is desired this may be connected to the auger barrel and the multiple barrel may be eliminated; Each outlet neck of the multiple barrel'may terminate in an annular flange l8 which is connected to a similar flange .I9 upon an extension bolts 2|.

through each extension barrel when desired, a cutoff plate 22 may be located betweeneach outlet neck H of the multiple barrel and the adjoiniing extension barrel 20, this plate being preferably. slidablyl mounted in a box 23 interposed between the flanges l8 and I9 and secured by means 'of' the bolts 2|.

4A cylindric extrusion die 24 is attached to the outer end of each extension barrel as by the bolts 25 located through the abutting'flanges 26 and 21. upon theopp'osed ends of the extension barrel and die respectively.

The outer end of each die 24 is flared as at 28 in order toform the flared head 29 upon the tuyere 30,.shown in Figs. 8 and 9. For the purpose of forming the longitudinal holes 3| :in the tuyere the core rods 32 are mounted within the die; a Referring to Figs. 4 to 'I inclusive, these core rods are shown supported at their rear ends by a ring 33 to which the ends of the outer core rods are welded or otherwise attached, while the central 'core rod 32a is supported by the radial spokes '34 extending inward from the ring 33. I The ring '33 may be centrally supported Within the extension barrel 20 by the radial arms 35 extending inwardly from the annulus 36 arranged to be clamped between the flange |9- of the extension barrel and the oppose'd-flange l8 of the multiple barrel.

Intermediate their ends the core rods are supa ring 33a, to which the outer rods 32 are connected, as by welding, the central rod 32:; being supported by the radial spokes 34a extending inward from the ring 33a, 5 A'removable gate 31 is provided at the'outer or flared end of eachdie 24 and for properly positioning the gate upon the die, pins 38, carried upon peripheral ears 39, on the gate, are adapted to be received through apertures 40 inthe ears 4'! at the' end of the die.

The gate 31 is provided with sockets 42 to receive the outer ends of the core rods and order to form the countersunk or flared outer ends 43 in the longitudinal holes 3| of the tuyre, conical bosses. 44 are formed ontheinner side of the ate 'surroundingsaid sockets.

I The 'gateB'I isadapted to be held. in closed arrangement of column in the proper length means of the angular at 46 upon a lug 41 on adapted to be closed position upon the die by locking bar 45, ivoted as one side of the die and against the bosses 48 on the outer side of thegate and held in this position by the latch bar 49 pivoted upon the lug 50 on the other side of the die and provided with the locking shoulder 5| for engaging over the locking bar 45 to hold the same in locked position. 7 g

A red 52, supported upon ears 535'on one side of the extension barrel, slidably and. rotatably supports a cutoff knife 54 of usual and ordinary construction for cutting ofi the extruded clay to form a tuyere. An off-bearing table 55 is located beyond each die, and for the purpose of supporting t e extruded column against lateral and downward defiection an Ofi-bEaI'iIIg CO-IIVGYOI is provided in the form of a belt 55 having spaced transverse cleats '5'! or sufficient height to support the column so that the flared head 29 willrest upon the transverse angle iron58at the forward end of the conveyor. a I

In order that the machine equipped with a'plurality of dies as illustrated in the drawings, may be continuously operated, meansmay be provided for automatically operating the cutoff plates 22 of the several dies so that as a 'tuyere is formed and extruded to the desired'length from one'die the cutoff plate for said die may :be automatically closed'and the cutoff plate from-another of the dies simultaneously opened". H For this purpose each of the cutoff: plates 22 maybe operated by a steam or otherxfluid 'cylin der indicated at 59, the cutoff plate'22 being-carried by the plunger'orpiston rodifill of said cylin-' der. Fluid under pressure maybe admitted'to the upper endof each cylinderythrough a pipe 6|, for lowering or closing the cutoff plate and fluid maybe admitted to the lower end'of each cylinder, through a pipe 62, for raising or opening the cutoff plate. In order to automatically operate these cutoff plates 'so'as to successively extrude the clay columns throughthe-several .dies, mechanism such as shown' diagrammatically in Fig.3 may be pro.- vided. This mechanism includeszvalves 63 land 64 respectively for controlling "the .admissionaof fluid through the pipes 6| and.52:to the upper and lower ends respectively of each cylinder 59. Each valve 63 may be'operat'ed by'a magnet 65 and each valve: by a magnet 66.."The circuit 61 to each magnet 65 is normally'open :and'arranged to be closed by the switch fi8ilo'cate'd in the path-of the angle iron 58 on the conveyor from the corresponding die while themagnet 66 is located in a circuit-69 operated byrtheswitch 68 of an adjacent units H H x.

As shown in Fig. '3, the three' unitsare indicated at A, Band C. The switch 680i the unit'A closes the circuit 61 to the magnet 651which operates the upper valve 63 of the cylinder 1590f, unit A, to lower-orlclose thercutoff plate, 22 of. saidjunit. Simultaneously, the closing Ofi'thlS same switch 68 of unit A closes the: circuit 69 tothe, magnet 66 which operates theilower valve of: unitC, to raise or open the vcutofiv plate .22. ofgsaid unit. In correspondingmanner the switch 68v of unitC closes the circuit 61 to the magnet ,55/controlling the upper valve 63 of said unit and simultaneously closes the circuit'69 to the magnet '66 of the lower valve 64jof'unit'B. The switch :68.v of; unit B closes. the circuit to themagnet 65 controlling theuppervalve B 3- of that unit and simultaneously closes the circuit 6% 2391324 themagnt it controlling the lower valve 64 of unit'A. In the'positfon shown in Fig- 3,ith'e-swit'ches it-ofunits Aand B are both shown inopen posi ti'ona'whilethe switchi 68 0f unit Cl isshown closed by 'the'angle. iron 58 of the corresponding conveyor, thus. opening the upper valve 63 of, unit Gite;- close. the corresponding cutofl plateand simultaneously opening the lower valve 64' of unit B1130 raise or open the corresponding cutoff plate 824m as to stop the now of clay through the die efnunit C and; start. the flow of clay into the die ItunitB;.. ,.Each. gate 31 maybe provided near: its. upper end with a ring or eye to which is'connecte'd a cordextending upwardover'a pulley l2 and having a counterweightili'upon its other end so that when the gate is unlocked and removed from the end of the die it will be raised above the die so as not to interfere with the clay column being extruded therefrom.

The tuyres are preferably made from a clay body consisting of 50% high temperature grog, and the balance plastic fire clay.

The clay used in making these tuyeres should contain no ferrous sulphide, carbon, sulphur, 'or iron and must be thoroughly oxidized in burning so that the refractory properties are higher.

The two clays are ground and screened separately, then the ingredients are dry mixed in the above proportions to get a more uniform mixture. This dry mixture is then spouted into a pug mill and water is added to form a plastic mixture which goes from the pug mill to the shredder of the vacuum deairing chamber II and is then extruded from the auger barrel l3 through the tuyere dies.

With the gate 31 of the die locked in closed position the clay forced into the die from the auger barrel will fill the die including the enlarged head 28 thereof, the clay being compacted to a greater density by the resulting pressure. As clay may start to leak around the joint of the gate, the latch bar 49 may be raised to the broken line position shown in Fig. 1, releasing the locking bar, 45 which may be thrown back to the broken line position shown in Fig. 2, and the gate may be removed from the end of the die and elevated by the counterweight 13.

The operation ofthe auger machine being continued, with the gate removed from the die it will extrude a round column having the diameter of the reduced portion 24 of the die. This column is indicated in broken lines at 39 in Fig. 7 with the enlarged flared head 29 at its forward end. When this column reaches the desired length the cutoff plate 22 controlling admission of clay to the die will :be closed and the cutoif knife 22 may be manually operated in usual and well known manner to cut the column oil at the desired length.

This tuyre is supported upon the off-bearing conveyor 56, the cleats 51 thereof supporting the tuyre against lateral and downward deflection as it is extruded from the die. The cut off tuyre v may then be rolled off of the conveyor onto the table '14 having a contour which will support the tuyere with the flared head thereon against lateral and downward deflection.

The green tuyre is then dried and burned in such a manner as to get uniform oxidation of the clay body, going first through a water smoking period which removes mechanical moisture and hygroscopic moisture, and then through an to 70% flint clay, 10% to oxldizlng period: which removesthe: remaining chemical moisture, carbon, sulphur, etc., and then through the burning period; the temperature being raised up to a point where the clay body becomes hald and "has maximum shrinkage, burning the tH-Yre td p'rbdllce a burned" body having a P; G. E; O'f'co'ne 28- to '32. r

The density of the green body due to fewer and smaller voids by reason of deairing creates a body'which after drying and burning resists the actionof turbulent hot gasesand produces a tuyre which lasts longer than those made by other methods. These tuyres are being used'in 'large'quantities in a number of steel plants and have been found to have considerably longer life than other tuyres.

Whena'tuyre burns or cuts, it has to'be blankedofi'putting more work on theother tuyres and causing them to'burn outquickr; In one plant the average life of the ordinary tuyere is 26 to 27 heats and in the same plant the average life of this tuyere is 30 to 32 heats. It was found that they hardly ever have to blank off one of these tuyeres in less than 20 to 22 heats and in 25 per cent of the time none of these tuyres have to be blanked off during the 32 to 34 heats for which they were being used.

We claim:

1. Means for forming ceramic tuyeres compris- I ing an auger extrusion machine having a deairing chamber and an extruding auger barrel, a plurality of cylindric dies communicating with the extrusion barrel, a removable gate upon each die, core rods located through the dies, means upon the gate for positioning and holding the outer ends of the core rods, 3, cutofi plate for controlling the flow of clay through each die, means for extruding a clay column from each die when the gate is opened, means operated by the movement of the column for closing the cutoff plate to each die when the column extruded therefrom attains a predetermined length and for simultaneously opening the cutoff plate to another of the dies.

2. Means for forming ceramic tuyres comprising an auger extrusion machine having a deairing chamber and an extruding auger barrel, a plurality of cylindric dies communicating with the extrusion barrel, a removable gate upon each die, core rods located through the dies, means upon the gate for positioning and holding the outer ends of the core rods, a cutoff plate for controlling the flow of clay through each die, means for extruding a clay column from each die when the gate is opened, a fluid cylinder for operating each cutoff plate, means operated by the movement of the column for admitting fluid to the corresponding cylinder to close the cutoff plate to each die when the column extruded therefrom attains a predetermined-length and for simultaneously admitting fluid to another of the cylinders to open the corresponding cutofi plate.

. 3. Means for forming ceramic tuyeres comprising an auger extrusion machine having a deairing chamber and an extruding auger barrel, 5, plurality of cylindric dies communicating with the extrusion barrel, a removable gate upon each die,

core rods located through the dies, means upon taneously opening the cutofi plate to another of the dies.

4. Means for forming, ceramic tuyres comprising an auger extrusion machine having a deairing gate is opened, a fluid cylinder for operating each cutoff plate, means for admitting fluid to the corresponding cylinder to close the cutoff plate to each die when the column extruded therefrom attains a predetermined length and for simultaneously admitting fluid to another of the cylinders to open the corresponding cutofi plate.

5. Means for forming ceramic tuyres comprising an auger extrusion machine having a deairin chamber and an extruding auger barrel, a. plurality of cylindric dies communicating with the extrusion barrel, a removable gate upon each die, core rods located through the dies means upon the gate for positioning and holding the outer ends of the core rods, a cutofi plate for controlling the flow of clay through each die, means for extruding a clay column from eachdie when the gate is opened, and means for closing the cutoff plate to each die when the column extruded therefrom attains a predetermined length and for simultaneously opening the cutofi plate of another of the dies.

- ROBERT B. KEPLINGER.

CHARLES A. FRY. 

